America

America's never been perfect, but some put it into words, understood
It wasn't saints who wrote the Constitution, but men who had a vision
The country was born by revolution, against the British they'd stood
Along the way tragedies happened, bumps along the road and inequity
But ultimately, we know what is right, even if we do not practice that
As political thinkers looked upon America, as a form of human fission
It wasn't romantic, people built a world removing the native populace
By laws and rights of the country, the vast amount of land, resources
Were the engine of progress, and yet many were left behind, or died
Blacks were enslaved, Asians were allowed to immigrate, but to work
America's West was developed by labor, wars, sweat, greed gone wild
200 years later, but our flaws and wounds were never healed or fixed
So I believe in our nation, but in the ideal, in practice we have failed

(Despite possessing a degree or two in Political Science, I'm no longer voting.
We began our existence, through wars and acts of violence, political maneuvering
and racist acts towards those who got to America long before the white man.
We live in an era where our choices for dinner are a manure salad, or a bowl of
rocks.  As such, I grieve the death of America's hope, our leadership, and our
process. This poem isn't about any sides of the election, it is about how I find
myself unable to sanction our process, as I believe in America, but believe we've
fallen from our morals, and outlook.)

The Fair have no Sorrow

She has danced upon the forest floor
In joy she celebrates each rising sun
Her form very agile, soft and delicate
Beautiful movement, love in her core
With her hair and eyes deeply golden
Her hands are small and ears curved
She calls out with joy to her maker
For it is her creator who called her
To dance, to share the grace given
To be is her sole purpose, in mercy
As are her sisters, and her kindred
All live to love their life, in hope
On this planet, they live forever

Dreaming Dragons

A dragon lay upon a hoard of coins, treasured items
She'd often would nap, not fully so, rarely sleeping
She was ancient, remembered by all within her reach
And while she had an ire that could be brought forth
She was also wise, with no reason to kill, or harvest
Human and Elf kingdoms paid her homage, respect
But Dwarves and their armies sought to bring death
They'd also hoarded treasure, gold coins and more
The Dwarves saw her as just a rival, without worth
In her few dreams the Dragon dreamt of a new land
Where there'd be no war, envy, nor hatred of others
The rivers would run with fish reflecting in the sun
And the hoard she slept upon would all be children
Never growing old, all being loving and beautiful
As of now, it isn't known if the Dwarves killed her
But we know someone, somewhere, spoke to her
Because we remember, the memories of a Dragon
We ought to find them worthy and a feeling of awe
And even if her dreams never came true or happened
The world was changed by the knowledge of change
The Dragon slept, dreaming of world different
Her wisdom found in those dreams was kind
And when have you imagined a kind Dragon?

The Wars in Gaul

Romans were called aggressors and conquerors
Because they'd challenged their wild enemies
All of the barbarian tribes were wholly untamed
But the Romans were stable, with a civilization
Each of those wild tribes had lived for battle
Even offering rewards for enemy lives taken
The Roman civilization was able but violent
And wild tribes were always moving about
Horse warriors would strike quickly, flee
As the Roman had powerful legions, elite
The Celts could fight on foot, but still
They flourished in combat upon horses
When Roman Legions would move forward
The Celts would lose innumerable warriors
It took time, with many dead on each side
Before fire in the eyes of both foes subsided
Rome could see that the Celts seemed tamed
But that state of being, would not last long
Vercingetorix would try one more time

The Void is not a good option

I might survive, but I might yet die
I don't know and I don't know why
Waves of sorrow, madness and joy
No flow of regularity, only the void
I've sought answers, found cancer
Saw chance destroy, also advances
Might be a fool, for I find darkness
I'll question everything, regardless
Never doubt if in question, I'll fail
For me sorrow and doubt will prevail
Unless I bow my head, and listen
For sometimes there is an answer
To every question but I can't hear it
With idiocy spewing from my mouth

The Righteous Thief

It is universal, we all pay for each of our choices
I've the blood of the innocent lamb on my hands
Every decision to hold a grudge, or sinful thought
My own sin drowns away our sacred King's voice
Grace is the only solution, a thief worthy of Hell
Spoke his belief, becoming righteous, in Heaven
Rituals and acts, are good, but to follow the one
Only one way, believe and act, are the doorway
I am a failure, by the world's standards
But in his world I will carry the banner
Blessed to be his own

I don't know, could you tell me?

In a whirlwind are the voices and angry emotions
Rage together over the heart of those who wander
Do I choose the stern, or those who seem to be free
What can I do that gives me greater understanding
What can I give love to all others, even my enemies
How many times after 7x70 can I wait before I stop
Will my walk be destined to fail, I am so imperfect
Not even close to knowing how to stop being angry
Oh my God, my doubts have never been about you
They're about me, at times I wish you'd hang me
I know I must persist, I must go forward, in truth
But I am lost without you, I don't know the path
So please help me know, give me a chance

My Adoptive Brother

On this day, in 1961, my brother was born
He was given a name of Norwegian origin
After of the adoptive father's favorite uncle
Saved from the hatred and abuse and scorn
He'd live happily, in safety, by comparison
He was my first hero and first best friend
I was his Tonto, to his Lone Ranger
I was his Robin, to his Batman
And he taught me to ride a bike
When my mother had tried for years
He taught me to get my shoes tied
When I was too clumsy to learn
He was God's grace towards me
And mercy, both you cannot earn
They are gifts, they are undeserved
My brother died in December 2022
There remains a black hole in my heart
But, despite memory loss, he is in my first
Almost all of my memories, from my youth
Are having fun, experiencing joy with him
I'll miss him forever, until the here after

In Memoriam
Brons Wells Nesss
July 1961- December 30, 2022

She Prayed

Before the next storm I will pray for strength
When he hits me, calls me worthless, oh God
Before the eyes of my children, he breaks me
He doesn't love me, he steals my self respect
Lord I can't take more, in despair and beyond
My children need me but they can see me hurt
With lips bleeding, marks of tears, and crying
So I ask you God, give me the ability to stand
In the face of the storm approaching, powerless
Why do I forgive him? Oh help me understand
The sorrow has not yet outweighed all my love
But the day draws close, help me love enough
Before I use violence, and quiet that man

The drained earth

There will be a day to come when the only sound
Will be the black winds blowing across the plains
The world built by humanity disappearing, falling
This is a catastrophe, a tragedy, we are all to blame
It is just a matter of time before everything is gone
Our world has war, extracted resources, bleeding
Toxic rain, smoke from nuclear fires, waves of diseases

The Cave home of hidden Hive

In deepest caverns of the mother cave
Darkness prevails, sounds there echo
Each noise is amplified by the complex
This hive raid others for food and slaves
But the surface dwellers soon decided
Better to gather, fight the cave people
Joining forces than to continue alone
Leader of the cave. the Hive mother
Failed to realize a major pattern used
Attacks occurred in repeated patterns
Not realizing she'd sent out the raiders
Never changed the pattern of attacks
The surface tribes prepared an ambush
Each site known, they'd make a tomb
They showed in that they were clever
Pulling a greater number of the hive
And then slaughtered with abandon
A fresh band of warriors followed
Entering the Hive's openings
The warrior band fought well
Driving their assault while wounded
They also slowed by exhaustion
But the warriors went room to room
And searched and cleared every level
Until there were few of the Hive
Left with life or a chance to heal

I close my eyes

I had waited for years, for you to send a message
You lingered in my heart, so long, I was bleeding
Words stirred my soul, but I'm the imperfect vessel
In my mind I'm still blind, with fears screaming
I close my eyes, and say a prayer, with hope
To my creator, and hope for everything within me
Let me find the perfect path with an imprint
Placed upon your heart, forever

I live for my king

Before I was born, I had memory of a great event
I saw Christ walking on water, and I've no doubt
Where others have said that I have been dreaming
In chaos my life was a mystery, in misery, cursed
While no one cared about my continuous bleeding
They asked why I believe, when I've reason not to
But I've felt it burning in my heart, since my birth
I've no reason to dispel what is so good and true
I've carried a sword that cuts away falsehood, fear
I cry out to my savior, repentance comes in tears
I am flawed, by my own hand, I seek to be atoned
I began life in a difficult way, but I trust in his way
That will provide my path, and see him enthroned

Matthew 14:22-33 KJV

War is useless, Words are power

Our General sent us, a fully armed, armored band
Our mission was to stop the attacks on caravans
When we reached the valley, after a trek of weeks
We learned that they'd been waiting, ready to kill
They used ponies, riding in circles, firing arrows
We barely survived the first encounter, wounded
We set up a small camp, within the valley's walls
This time, no retracing of steps, we were shadows
We built an ambush so that we could be the ones
Attacking from the heights, with a full advantage
It happened, we succeeded, but why did it matter
But we could've used words, that is, compromise
In our lives, it was always use war first, words next
And that meant nothing was built between people
The definition friend became, who'd be an ally
Definition for enemy was easy, we don't agree
And on into the future, these legacies reach deep
Our grandchildren developed technology, for war
Our and their achievements provided no victories
It simply allowed more people to die efficiently

“In Orbe Terrum Non Visi”

July is Gone

The month of July used to be the glorious one
As a child, it was in the heart of summer break
My mother and brother had birthdays during it
We'd often go to a cabin for one or two weeks
There was a feeling of an ever glowing youth
That changed as I grew up, it was not the same
I am old now, vulnerable, weak, hot and tired
My memories of my family, fade, as have they
My life can be seen now only in photographs
The feeling of being free, timeless, and happy
All being lost to a thief, a stealer of life, time
When I finally visit Elysium, it will never fade
And I will no longer age, nor feel life's pain
But I have work left to do, before I renew
I am not the one who determines when
So I labor, and I pray with hope
And anticipation

If We Do Not Change

The aura of awe, the scent of glory, from a work finished with excellence
A shine around the globe, Earth is the mother Gaia, the Creator our father
We've waited for others to solve all problems, but we're those responsible
Destiny is calling, yet, with every advantage, we rely upon miserable fate
This life is the only one we will get, and many choose to celebrate excess
We must now recognize our transgressions, choosing the forgiven's path
Or we will follow our world, passing into the land of the dead, and dying
The Horsemen approach, in four distinct colors, let them not arrive

Slava Ukraini

The Kievan Rus first existed in 880 AD
Growing tall, golden wheat across a field
Viking bloodline, their ideals, the seeding
They later became the nation of Ukraine
The world watched as the bloom opened
Despite struggling under the Soviet yoke
The land expressed a distinct native voice
As the Soviet Union ended, it became free
Eventually Russians appeared on a horizon
The world watched and did little to help
Ukraine stood their ground against Russia
Then as the world just stood, and did little 
It feared yet did nothing, even despairing
This would be simply a first, of invasions
Russia was going to reconstruct its empire
Peace or slavery to Russia a false choice
Ukrainians were the first to show the way
Freedom must be fought for, bled for
Slava Ukraini

The Blueprint for the Future

They called us the Scourge, the Dane, or Wildmen
But we knew our names, titles, our Gods, and fate
We traveled from our homelands, in the great North
We found Iceland, with black shores and volcanoes
Then Greenland, the land was treeless and lifeless
We raided the cities upon the Saxon and Irish shores
To mighty rivers of the East, down to the Black Sea
Our warriors served as bodyguards, to an Emperor
The Byzantine Empire wouldn't fall, in our hands
We were called the Rus, for our ruddy complexion
Seeding new lands, with our warriors, new legacies
Our memories of the past, will become legends
Our actions will be judged, as if they even know
The end will not be pleasant, but will be final
And no one will be able to write the history
In the snow, but the ravens and crows

To Wander, To find my path

Over time, I have decayed within
Deep inside, I have rotted with sin
Because I'm not able to stop my act
I have nothing inside able to react
I'll take my own pathway, hoping
Perhaps I'll be lost, words choking
I wander, rather than find purpose
My life's an asylum, a fool's circus
I walk my path, seeking to escape
With only one way to find my way
There I stop, and I then bow down
Speaking words, on sacred ground
I repent and I have nothing to offer
I place trust and belief on an altar
Hope that its enough to survive
The toll of my life's red tide

WE ARE THE VIKINGS

in the evening, the shadows are alive

We know the feeling, the sun falls and a murk grows
An uncomfortable tightness of clothes, and a sweat
The look on the face of any you see, serious, worried
It isn't due to anything real, nothing anyone knows
Shadows are fed by dark, in a loss of light, they live
They stretch with darkness, smothering the light
But in a small town, a place no one wants to be
The energy of nervous fear will create scenarios
Nerves allow thoughts of fear to rule over reason
Without reason we fear attack, betrayal, treason
The noise of feet walking faster and yet faster
Heart races, the feet cannot move fast enough
And you hear a voice, it is rough, sounds like
An older man, wracked with pain, in strife
You never turn to see who it is, being safe
It was the janitor, just closing the building
Who was asking you an important question
Sir or Ma'am are you aware the direction
The place you are going is now closed?
But to know you would have to stop
And you couldn't hear him
Then he'll call the cops
You'll be panicked
and foolishly run

My Oath

We all participate in a life cycle
I'm growing old, but I don't grieve
My flesh was fading, I'm also aging
My heart doesn't fail beats in rhythm
My world is alive so why shouldn't I
There's nothing of the journey to miss
Life abundant, a planet blue, green
We should desire the traits of destiny
We must deny the demands of fate
My life isn't perfect, I've many flaws
But I have a purpose to fulfill
As I promise, fulfill my oath
What I am doing, is greater
I will raise his holy banner

He'll never achieve those dreams

He never told her, but he knew she knew
He was turned inside out, entirely askew
She is the dream he was never granted
They never reached the land enchanted
As he longed for her touch, but forbidden
She was the perfect poem, never written
Rather than die, he'd lingered in dreams
Never again waking, yet barely sleeping
He could never again ever really sleep
For they'd an urgency, and reminders
 All of his dreams remained unfulfilled
And if at this moment sleep occurs
His precious dreams will begin again
And his dreams will defy his will

We once believed but in the wrong thing

We'd thought our world was eternal, for our use
Dreams of humans now are to escape to survive
Our mind is turned upon finding another Earth
We believed so long with no evidence or result
But our existence isn't forged by our own mind
Rather, we seek, attempting to create our future
The world we have for our life, has been cursed
By our hands, selfish choices and by our reason
We've no chance nor choice, judgment is earned
Planet Earth once lush in life, now lingers in time
But not for long, especially for for native species
Extinction a beckoning call, programmed disease
Earth is sucked dry, her power is now neutered

Timeless

Like a crow, sitting on a wire, watching
Wait for the day to end, becoming night
Looking into the sun, thinking we'll burn
Ghosts haunting while forever wanting
There is nothing in fire, but souls afire
And if I die, I'll be dust, never to return
Work ended, but life is never ending task
Until I become timeless in fair Elysium
Where age is lost, and youth ever lasting
And youthful inspirations burn to ash
Lord, oh I long to lay in your fields
Where I might find peace that lasts